There are many ways to become a naturalized citizen in the United States. One of the most common is through the form N-400 or Request for Naturalization. Although the same form is used in different situations, many things differ when you apply for citizenship through marriage.
Filing form N-400 based on your marriage reduces the time you must wait as a permanent resident before applying, but you’ll need to know everything about the supporting documents and steps you need to follow. We’ll explain here:
Start by Checking if You Meet the Requirements to Apply for Citizenship Through Marriage
There are some essential differences in the requirements to apply for naturalization when choosing this path. To do it, you must:
- Be at least 18 years old when applying for citizenship.
- Be a legal permanent resident.
- Have lived in a marital union with your couple for at least three years before applying for citizenship.
- Maintain your union with your spouse until you take your Oath of Allegiance.
- Prove your continuous residence in the United States for at least three years before your application.
- Be physically present in the United States for at least 18 months before applying.
- Have lived in the state or district where you are applying for at least three months before applying.
- Prove your knowledge of English, American history, and the principles and form of government of the United States.
- Show support for the Constitution.
- Prove your good moral character.
Things That Might Affect Your Application
To accept your application for naturalization, USCIS needs to ensure that you’ve lived in a marital union with your spouse during the previous three years and that you both live in the same household.
So, some of the events that could affect the outcome of your application before or after you file your application are:
The death of your spouse
If your spouse dies before you take the Oath of Allegiance, you may become ineligible for naturalization through marriage.
A divorce or annulment of the marriage
Since this breaks the marital union, if a divorce happens before or after you file your Form N-400, it will be invalid.
Separation
Being separated means that you no longer live in the same household, and since you can’t prove this, you cannot file Form N-400 based on your marriage to a U.S. citizen.
Gather the Documents You’ll Need to Request Naturalization Based on Your Marriage
All the things we’ve mentioned above need to be proved with the corresponding evidence, some of the documents that will help you during the interview process are:
Proof of Your Spouses’ Citizenship
Your partner must be a U.S. citizen for at least three years before you can file this request. You must bring documents such as a birth certificate, U.S. passport, naturalization certificate, or citizenship certificate from your spouse.
Proof of Marriage
USCIS needs to prove your marriage is legal with a marriage certificate or civil registration to prove it’s valid.
Evidence that all previous marriages were terminated
If you or your spouse have been married before, you need to show that all your previous marriages were legally terminated through divorce, annulment, or death certificates.
Proof of your marital union
To demonstrate that you have lived together during the previous three years, you can bring joint bank statements, loans, or mortgages with both of your names on them, birth certificates of children you have together, insurance policies, or copies of your tax statements.
Other Things You Should Take Into Account
As we said before, a request for naturalization through marriage isn’t necessarily more accessible than a request for naturalization based on your time as a permanent resident.
Like in the normal process, you must consider your felonies, selective service registration, tax statements, and every other requirement. You will also have to go through the USCIS interview and take your English and civics exam, just like any other applicant.
How to Make This Process Easier
If you apply based on your marriage to a U.S. citizen or follow the normal N-400 process, it is always easier to rely on an expert to complete and file your application.